Communities of Color and Media
Our work centers and serves the most marginalized voices in the community…
GLAAD’s Communities of Color and Media Department is a leading force driving equitable and accurate representation of Black LGBTQ+ people, people living with HIV (PLWH), and queer communities of color in the realm of entertainment and media.
Our work centers and serves the most marginalized voices in the community, reaching them through both intimate and large-scale programming designed to foster community, connection, and fellowship.
Through consultation, media training, social campaigns, local activations, and curated events, the Communities of Color and Media Team aims to accelerate equality and acceptance while elevating and amplifying the voices of Black LGBTQ+ communities and queer communities of color everywhere.
Trainings – Telling Your Story: Messaging & Media Tools for Today’s Activist
Nothing is more powerful than the personal stories that humanize our community, and moving hearts and minds involves so much more than just supporting social justice. It requires the skills to uncover, hone, and communicate your narrative. It demands a keen understanding of your audience and the complexities of today’s media machine. It calls ofr a dedicated follow-up to ensure that your message goes the distance, stays on-target, and is being leveraged and amplified consistently across multiple media platforms.
Using the best practices, tools, and techniques we’ve perfected over the past 30 years, the GLAAD Media Institute turns education into armor for today’s culture war – transforming individuals into compelling storytellers, media-savvy navigators, and mighty ambassadors whose voices break through the noise and incite real change.
As we continue to encounter stigma, bias, and misinformation that disproportionately impacts LGBTQ communities of color and people living with HIV (PLWH), it’s more important than ever for community leaders and individuals to be empowered and equipped to tell our stories. In cities across the United States, the Communities of Color and Media team is offering Telling Your Story: Messaging & Media Tools for Today’s Activist, a free training teaching individuals, activists, and advocates how to tell their stories and navigate the media landscape. Learn more about our upcoming trainings and locations below.
Training Dates and Locations:
- – Sept. 10, 2025: Virtual – Register Now
GLAAD Hangouts
Each month, the Communities of Color and Media team orchestrates a series of IG live conversations designed to amplify the diversity of voices and experiences of the Black LGBTQ community and other LGBTQ communities of color. Hosted by and featuring industry notables and favorites, the #GLAADHangouts series fosters community dialogue and engagement.
#GLAADHangouts also is an opportunity to continue to garner support for the LGBTQ community and connect to our diverse and inclusive community of 418K+ Instagram followers.
You can find more information on our next #GLAADHangouts or access to our GLAAD Hangout archives if you missed it.
Accelerate Acceptance
Your gift allows us to accelerate equality and acceptance while elevating and amplifying the voices of Black LGBTQ+ communities and queer communities of color everywhere.
Black Queer Creative Summit (BQCS)
The Black Queer Creative Summit is a groundbreaking event specifically geared towards empowering, educating, and training Black LGBTQ+ creatives across multiple industry sectors with the access to the industry support, insider knowledge, resources, and funding they need to tell more authentic stories.
To date, the Black Queer Creative Summit has earned the following honors and accolades:
- 2024 Gold Anthem Award: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Special Projects
- 2024 Gold Anthem Award: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Partnership or Collaboration
- 2024 Silver Anthem Award: Education, Art & Culture – Special Projects
GLAAD Honors
First celebrated in 2022, GLAAD Honors was created as a community gathering and celebration recognizing Black LGBTQ+ nominees of the GLAAD Media Awards for their efforts, contributions, and visibility to the Black LGBTQ+ community. Powered by Gilead Sciences, GLAAD Honors has grown to include showcases of Black queer artists and talent, providing space for fellowship, dialogue, and expressions of the power of Black queer joy and storytelling.
GLAAD Honors Photo Gallery
Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI)
Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI)In 2022, GLAAD launched the Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI), supported by Gilead Sciences. The program was created, and is led by, DaShawn Usher, the Senior Director of GLAAD’s Communities of Color and Media Department, along with Associate Director Julian J. Walker and Associate Kayla Thompson. The initiative is designed as a pipeline program to help address, and begin to resolve, the existing gap in equitable representation in entertainment, particularly when it comes to Black LGBTQ storytellers and PLWH.
This three year long experience will support a different group of Black LGBTQ creatives across various disciplines, with the first year cohort made up of short form filmmakers, second year focused on music artists, songwriters, and producers, and choreographers rounding out the program as the third year cohort.
Articles:
NEON x GLAAD
NEON x GLAAD is a digital content series that was founded in 2020 by multi-hyphenate creative Major Nesby with a mission to increase the visibility of Black LGBTQ people. NEON leverages the power of storytelling and GLAAD’s platform to create multi-dimensional, accurate portraits of the Black LGBTQ experience.
The NEON team has produced award-winning work that aligns with the collective’s mission. To date, they’ve received the following accolades:
- Winner, Webby Awards Video: Diversity & Inclusion 2022
- Winner (Bronze), Shorty Awards “Branded Series” 2022
- Best in Show Winner, FCS Portfolio Awards “Corporate Image” & “Multicultural” 2022
- Winner, The American Advertising Federation Mosaic Awards 2022
NEON x GLAAD continues to work together to produce impactful programming geared towards advancing the presence of Black LGBTQ people across media and entertainment.
State of HIV Stigma Reports
Recent Press
- The Hollywood Reporter: Jussie Smollett Debuts New Feature, Denzel Washington Hints at Break From Acting at American Black Film Festival
- Pride.com: Why Black, Trans Stories Like Mine Are Not Just Nice to Have, But Essential
- Forbes: Meet the Team Behind GLAAD’s Black LGBTQ+ Media Advocacy
- Spotify: How Music Helps Black Queer Artists and Industry Creatives Tell Their Stories
- Black Enterprise: ‘Pride Strong:’ GLAAD Launches Inaugural Black Queer Creative Summit for LGBTQ+ Creatives
- Advocate: How GLAAD is Nurturing Black Queer Music
- INTO: GLAAD Uplifts Black LGBTQ+ Voices in Music With Second EMEI Cohort
- Teen Vogue: GLAAD Hosts Black Queer Creative Summit, the First of Its Kind, in Los Angeles
- Forbes: GLAAD Establishes First-Ever Black Queer Creative Summit
- The Hollywood Reporter: GLAAD Announces Inaugural Class for New Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (Exclusive)
- Shondaland: 4 LGBTQ+ Advocates Unpack the Significance of Queer Storytelling in the Entertainment Industry
- INTO: The 2nd Annual #GLAADHonors Was Definitely Something to Be Glad About
